


Extraction

by cestlavieminako



Category: Kamen Rider Ex-Aid
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-11-07 00:45:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11047767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cestlavieminako/pseuds/cestlavieminako
Summary: Being separated from Emu was harsh; cold, painful, unending loneliness.





	Extraction

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aquabluejay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquabluejay/gifts).



> There's never really been a full explanation as to how Parad wound up working with Dan Kuroto, and the details of him being taken out of Emu's body are still a bit lacking, so this is one of many possibilities that (I'm sure) exist out there.
> 
> Happy birthday to aquabluejay, I hope you like this!

The first thing he was aware of was pain.

Pain. Cold. No, this wasn’t where he belonged. What had happened..?

The Bugster virus leaked from his body like pollen floating on the wind, and he was vaguely aware of alarmed noises around him.

But none of that mattered.

He’d been…separated, hadn’t he? How? _Why_? He hadn’t been rejected, had he? No, impossible, Emu wouldn’t have done such a thing. They’d played together for years; he wouldn’t just push him out like this. He couldn’t!

His arms wrapped around himself, and he shivered uncontrollably. It was so cold here…

*

In another room inside the building, one situated further back from the operating room to protect it from any unusual happenings, the door swung open, and the doctors inside couldn’t keep the relief off their faces. 

“What’s happened?” the new arrival asked, moving closer to examine the security monitor.

“Sir, the operating physicians…they’ve disappeared!”

The man frowned, confusion plain on his face. “Disappeared? What do you mean?”

“The operation was proceeding smoothly, but then…it was almost like an explosion of the virus filled the room. And then that boy just…appeared.”

The man, however, was too engrossed in watching the security footage, seeing the events happening in real time. “Fascinating...he appeared from within the patient on his own?”

He took a step toward the door, and one of the doctors made a sound of alarm. “Sir! Where are you going?”

“That boy needs to be calmed down, or he’ll flood the entire building with the virus.” When another doctor opened his mouth to protest, the man held up his hand. “I’ve been injected with the antibody, so it shouldn’t affect me. As have all of you. Now, the patient needs to be removed from the room as well. We must proceed as planned.”

The doctors nodded hesitantly, and the man left the room without another word.

*

The sound of a door clanging open made him open his eyes, looking up from where he’d sunk down onto the floor.

There was another human in the room.

Baring his teeth like an animal he pain, he sent a cloud of the virus in the man’s direction, watching as it did…nothing.

How was that even possible..?

The man waved his hand, as if swatting away a swarm of insects, before taking a step closer. Then another. Before he knew it, the man was standing before him, looking at him in wonder.

“Extraordinary,” the man murmured, leaning down to touch the boy’s shoulder for just a moment, before he jerked back away from the contact. “You can exist outside of your host’s body freely, can’t you? The operation wasn’t even necessary.” 

The boy continued shivering, his eyes not leaving this strange man, even as he continued to circle him, examining him as closely as he could.

“Do you have a name?”

The boy tilted his head slightly, confused. He’d never had need of one; he’d simply _been_. Names were a human invention, unnecessary for the likes of him. 

“You’re like a paradox,” the man continued, finally stopping in his tracks. “How about that? Parad? Do you like it?”

Parad..? The boy frowned, hesitating. It sounded…interesting. 

“My name is Dan Kuroto,” the man stated, holding a hand out. “Are you able to stand?”

Parad looked from the hand, to the man, before he hesitantly reached out, allowing Kuroto to grasp his hand and pull him to his feet. Why was he still present, even with so much of the virus still swirling throughout the room? So much of it should have surely consumed him!

There was another sound; quieter, this time. And when Parad turned, he saw more people entering the room, wearing face masks.

They were dangerously close to Emu, who still lay unconscious.

His eyes widening in panic, Parad took a step forward, but Kuroto’s fingers wrapped around his wrist—just a bit tighter than was necessary—and halted his movements.

“He needs to be removed from the room, for his own safety. Even with the Bugster virus in his body, being exposed to an excess like this…it could prove to be fatal to him,” Kuroto explained in a soft voice.

Parad sucked in a sharp breath; he hadn’t considered Emu’s safety at all! He…had just been so frightened, and had lashed out against all of these unusual proceedings. He lifted his hand slightly, and all of the floating virus particles in the room vanished abruptly.

Even then, Emu continued to be wheeled out of the room.

“Emu…” Parad managed, his voice barely more than a hoarse whisper, his hand stretching out fruitlessly toward him.

“Now, now…don’t be afraid. We’ll get you back to him. He just needs time to recover first,” Kuroto said, his voice calming and gentle as he tried to reassure Parad.

Parad’s last glimpse of Emu was cut short as Kuroto pulled him into an almost awkward embrace, rubbing his back soothingly.

“It’s only temporary. He’ll want to see you again, I’m certain of it,” Kuroto continued, feeling Parad’s shoulders shake slightly, hearing him gulp in shaky breaths as he cried.

For just a split second, Kuroto’s lips curled up into a sinister smile.

Then, it was gone, just as quickly as it had appeared.

“Being outside of his body is difficult for you, isn’t it? It isn’t exactly the same, but…” Kuroto moved back far enough to reach into his jacket pocket, withdrawing a small item that reminded Parad of some of the handheld video game systems that he and Emu had spent so many hours playing as children.

“If you choose to…you can retreat into this for a bit. It’s made to be a comfortable space for Bugsters,” Kuroto explained.

Parad peered at the handheld through his tears, and he couldn’t help the small bubble of fascination he felt building up inside himself. Even as he mourned losing his place with Emu…but Kuroto had said that he’d be able to go back once Emu was safe and healed. So this was only temporary. 

And if he didn’t go with Kuroto, what would he do? Stay here, in this operating room, curled up in a ball on the floor, until Emu returned?

After several minutes of silence, and several failed attempts, Parad finally managed to get his form to disperse, and he disappeared into the handheld. 

Kuroto glanced at the screen, seeing an image of Parad sitting inside, knees drawn up to his chest, his expression haunted.

He tucked the handheld back into his jacket pocket, that same smirk from earlier flitting across his face, before it vanished once again, and he exited the room.


End file.
